Yu and Mi
by joliemaria
Summary: This is a story about two girls; Yumi and Sayuri, who come to japan on a scholarship from their high school in ey are reunited with haruhi, with whom they spent a year upon haruhi's study abroad experience several years e girls slowly start to rediscover old wounds left behind by their parents mysterious death years earlier, and face the music of their childhood.
1. Yu and Mi

"Who do you love most?"

_The day was bright: had it been another season, then perhaps the weather would've inclined kite enthusiasts' from their houses to their local high-hill spots. Alas, the season was early spring; and students were in school: beginning another day of life's education._

"_Sayuri—teacher's going to scold you again,"_

"_Why should she?"_

_In a center of a long row of desks beside a long row of windows with a high ledge that practically blinded a wandering students' eyes from the outdoors should he or she be slouching, a girl with shoulder-length chestnut hair and 'china doll' lips sat. The white dress shirt making up the torso of her uniform was unbuttoned slightly, the sleeves rolled up to taught just after her elbows._

_From the doorway of the lengthy classroom, a girl of similar face entered. Her sleeves were primed and straight along her arms, the collar unbuttoned only slightly, and her deep green skirt with its pleats all properly in place. _

"_Mi-Chan!"_

_The so called 'mi-Chan' plopped herself up unto the ledge of the window beside the seat and sighed in wonder as her sister hopped up on the ledge beside her—placing herself in her sisters' lap and grinning wide. _

"_Fix your uniform, sayuri. You'll get scolded again,"_

"_Ah…Don't tell me that. Suki already warned me,"_

"_Then why don't you listen? She's second in class for a reason."_

_Sayuri wrapped an arm around her sister and let out an absent sigh. 'Mi-Chan' suddenly called her attention back to the present and pointed silently at her collar._

"_It's too hot for that thing, mi-chan. Besides—" _

"_Where is it? Sayuri…you'll get cleaning duty again."_

_From below, a long-faced girl with bright blonde hair suddenly made to stand up beside them, a long, colored thing in her hand. She handed it silently to yumi and then resumed her seat._

"_Ah—traitor!"_

"_I'm not betraying anyone, sayuri. Least of all you,"_

_Grudgingly, sayuri sat on her sister's lap as she adjusted the green-and-blue checked tie around her collar. Then, simultaneously they dropped down to the classroom floor, the bell ringing only a moment later. Sayuri took her seat by the window, and yumi moved to her seat two rows down, in the second to last seat. _

_They stood abruptly at attention as an older woman, off-grey pencil skirt in tow, entered the room: stern face approaching each row as she stood, visually inspecting her classroom and all in it. _

"_Uniform inspection."_

_Her tone was rather stern—stern as her face and her straight, manicured posture. One would never believe that this woman was actually a day-care teacher in her spar-time. But this had been confirmed by a sighting less than 2 semesters ago at a local daycare in the near-by city._

"_Yes, yes…good, suki. However, sayuri; do these rules not apply to you?"_

"_Teacher…it's so warm,"_

"_None the less, who do you think you're representing? A summer club for delinquents?"_

_After a moment, she moved on to the next person in line: until she had finally reached the third row: second seat, with her perfect record of uniform inspection marks. _

"_And you, just where do you think you are? A pool hall?"_

"_I had to order a new set of ties, ma'am. Please excuse me this time,"_

"_This is an establishment that aims—"_

"_Excuse us for the interruption, will the student body please report to the front hall. Again, will the students please report to the front hall, this is not a request."_

_The loudspeaker and its rather low female tone soon had the students moving out of the classroom, chatter in their midst. Helplessly, the older woman tried to hold them back—however, all who were left were a few students still standing at attention and herself. Sayuri bounded over to where her sister stood and looped her arm with her sisters, pulling her along out the door. _

"_Look, Yu-Chan—you need to start listening to the teachers…"_

"_Ah—why? Half of them won't even bother telling us apart."_

"_That's…well, it's true that we don't make it very difficult…"_

_From behind the two girls, the sounds of shoving and laughter came, a large group of boys all playing and shoving each other in the hallways for their own entertainment._

"_And another thing—lately those guys have been…ah!"_

_Promptly, yumi was mowed over by a conga-line of boys who were still, more aggressively now; shoving each other. When she next looked up, her sister was gone. She was several feet behind the rest of the class and the announcements continued up ahead. _

"…_maybe they'll want us outside; I'm sure that she's out there already…"_

_Rushing up ahead to meet the crowd, yumi walked rather uncertainly among a gaggle of younger girls who were very much unconcerned with the urgency of the overhead voice and its' continuing words. _

"_..We really still shouldn't be in the building. I think we need to leave—"_

_Surrounded by a semi-circle made up of no more than seven of her male classmates, sayuri moved uncertainty toward the inner-most empty edge of the shape; only to be blocked by the heavy-built arm of a boy that she'd taken to calling "pochi," due to his small face and rather bashful character. _

"_I…what is this?"_

_All at once, the boys began to speak. As their voices grew in volume with each syllable, she backed toward her former place along the middle of the section of wall she was basically trapped against. _

"_We're yours, sayuri! We love you!"_

"_Ah…what is this…? It's a joke, right?"_

"_Please take us seriously, sayuri!"_

_Evidently the ringleader of it all, a tall; built boy with bright eyes and dark hair was speaking. _

"_We are in love with you! Please believe us!"_

_A few bodies down, a rather skinny boy with large glasses cried out, face red and heart probably beating faster than it ever had for any one moment in his life._

"_Why…? There's nothing…I mean, I like all of you very much—"_

"_Pick one of us fairly; and the rest of us will surrender!"_

_The leader had spoken again. Sayuri felt along the wall just beneath her, and found a step there in the form of a slightly jutting rock. Her eyes fell quickly from one end of the hall to her right, to the closets metal rim that stood perhaps a foot to a foot and a half above where she now stood. _

"_Please…guys, we shouldn't even be in here in the first place—and I don't feel that way!"_

_The leader approached her, eyes determined. He grabbed ahold of her forearms and kneeled down in front of her. _

"_Put me out of my misery, sayuri. Who do you love most?"_

"_Don't ask me that!"_

_Once, twice she pulled backward to free herself from his grasp. The second time; it worked. Though his face was utterly dumbfounded as she lept up on the little ledge and swung herself upward to meet the first of several empty metal rims that would soon be holding new ceiling fixtures in them. The second leap was smooth; one hand on the rim, the other reaching forward. The third leap was a near miss—it was a drop in height of up to a foot. The forth rose again by 6 inches—this time, she came up short. She was dropping fast from the 12 foot height. However as she closed her eyes and braced for impact, there was nothing. _

_No smack of linoleum against her surely damaged back—no severe pain from her skull. Slowly, cautiously; she opened her eyes, one and then the other. _

"_I'll leave the major scolding to your sister."_

"_Moki…!"_

"_Are you hurt, sayu?"_

_Moki; a tall, well-built boy who sayuri and yumi had known since they were children, sat up from his having been knocked down from the force of the catch. Sayuri felt her self-control dwindle as she left his lap, and tears started to flow. He stood slowly and helped her up to her feet. _

"_So then…what is it? I haven't seen you cry in a long time,"_

_They began to walk, he supporting her, as she wrapped an arm around the upper-half of his own arm. She was silent for a long, immeasurable moment; before speaking. _

"_I just don't get it…what's so special about me? Why do they always…"_

"_A guy said something to you, right? That they're in love, maybe?"_

"_Not just one…"_

_It was a little while before they met another person, in that long hall. But, eventually: yumi arrived. The rest of the girls from class were following close behind her, clearly on a mission of some kind. However, they stopped and all seemed to breathe a loud sigh of relief as they spotted the two. _

"_Yu-Chan!"_

"_Mi-Chan…"_

"_Eh—what's wrong? You're crying…"_

_Immediately, there were several pairs of eyes accusing poor Moki. He approached yumi and she slowly detached from his side to hers. Letting out a breath, he looked at yumi pointedly. _

"_I won't scold sayuri just now…but why you haven't taught this girl some self-defense? It was pure luck that I managed to catch her, you know."_

"…_catch? Yu-Chan…what does he mean by 'catch'?"_

"_Anyway; I'll explain what I can once we get to the infirmary."_

_It still took a moment before everything clicked in her mind—but the moment it did; after looking rather confused between Moki and the rest of the girls: older sister mode was locked in. turning back quickly, she grabbed Moki's wrist and pulled him forward with them. _

"_I want a full explanation."_

"…_right, yumi."_

"_And you too! I won't forgive you if this was something silly."_

"_uh-huh."_

_Sayuri spoke from her sister's side, quietly nursing a wounded arm as they walked their brisk walk down toward the infirmary's small room just south of their current location. _

"_Alright, sayuri. Show me that arm,"_

_Sayuri felt herself slowly sinking into a sulking mode. Yumi took off the tie she'd fixed just twenty minutes earlier, and sayuri discarded her dress shirt. Underneath; a white floral pattern followed both horizontally and vertically across a white sleeveless shirt. A nurse; probably only in her mid-thirties, with blue-black hair that spun in iron-made spirals across her forehead was now inspecting the injury; spanning from just beneath the shoulder and reaching to mid-elbow. _

"_If you'd fallen flat on the floor for that height…this arm would've easily broken."_

"_Yu-Chan! What on earth were you thinking?!"_

"_I…I just…it was the only way,"_

_Spinning around to see her sisters' pillow standing there with hands in his pockets, yumi looked utterly worried to the point of anger. _

"_And you! Instead of just catching her, you should've beaten those guys to a pulp as well! How dare they do this to Yu-Chan?!"_

"_It was a 'love attack' you know, for whatever that's worth. They weren't trying to hurt her; probably just trying to force their feelings on her—I would've done something earlier if I'd known about it."_

"_Then why do you know so much already?!"_

"_You had the same face on when those guys tried to kiss you in grade-school. Same principle, really."_

_Sayuri's sudden seriousness surprised even her sister as suddenly the tears stopped, and her arm was wrapped up with enough gauze to carry a whole load of fish were it made into a net rather than a large bandage. _

"…_my playing arm."_

"_Yu-Chan? You said something?"_

"_They almost…maybe they didn't mean to…"_

"_Sayu…come on, relax."_

_She sprung forward from her sitting position and promptly felt a pull in her upper thigh. The seriousness melted away, and the tears returned. _

"_I hate this! Moki, why did they do that? I'm not anything! I'm just a 17 year old kid with zero physical compatibility in P.E.!"_

"_Yu-Chan. Stop it already,"_

"_It's the one thing I'm good at, yumi…the one thing I do absolutely right!"_

_They all three stayed in the nurses office quite some time, until suddenly thunder was erupting in the skies. The P.E. classes all hustled in, girls screaming and guys groaning as they rushed underneath the nearest veranda. Sayuri presumably slept; yumi and Moki stayed put at her side, knowing it would be rather unwise to leave her in her current state. _

"_What did those guys say to her, really?"_

"_Probably 'I love you, so choose me!' right?"_

"_No…it was something more than that. A normal confession can't shake her like this. Usually she'll handle that kind of thing with 'but I'm not the one for you' or 'it's my policy not to date until I'm 21.'"_

"_Seriously?"_

_The rain became heavier and then lightened. The P.E. teachers were rallying the students back out to the soggy grounds. Most were utterly refusing; some were listening with the intent of earning a gold star or catching a cold so as to miss their next big test they'd forgotten until maybe just that very morning. _

"_You're actually surprised by that?"_

"_Not really. How about you?"_

"_Of course I'm not surprised! Didn't I just tell you?"_

"_No—I mean, how do you usually handle that kind of thing?"_

_The majority of the students were now running in a tsunami-grade rain storm. The electronic bell rang out in the halls, and students brushed past one another as they tried to push past their respective locker-room doors. She avoided his gaze and watched the scene, feigning interest as she look forward at absolutely nothing. _

"_I haven't…really had to. It'd be trouble-some, anyway."_

"_What would you say?"_

"…_probably…something like 'I might ha—"_

"_The culprit! Dieter, yumi; he's all yours!"_

_From behind a small group of class members, mostly female; some male a figure appeared. After closer inspection, it turned out to be the vice principal. He cleared his throat and silently motioned for the small crowd to disperse, detaining only the bright-eyed 'ringleader' and approaching those still in the room; nurse included, silently. _

"_Sayuri, with me."_

"_Sir, I'm sorry but—"_

"_Sayuri, with me."_

_His eyes were glued to yumi, almost as though she were the center of this whole problem. But, at the sound of her name; sayuri finally arose—pulling on her tie as she stood by her sisters side, some humor now back in her face, however much still clouded over by some amount of indescribable confusion. _

"_Yumi, you'll come too. It involves your sister, after all."_

"_Excuse me, sir…but I think—"_

_He started to take rapid steps toward the door; and the three all followed with a sigh after both the ringleader's and the vice principal backs began to disappear. _

"_Yumi, I think he's got the situation confused, somehow."_

"_Yeah, no kidding,"_

"_Sayuri,"_

"_Yeah, Moki?"_

_The vice principals voice boomed along the wide, tall hall—and as they all entered and gathered into his office, the speech began. The seven of them and then some who'd been unpresent during the earlier event were all gathered up there already. _

"_First off, sayuri—you clearly had another way to defend yourself…"_

"_Please, sir. You're making a mist—"_

"_Quiet!"_

_Previously pacing, he now took a seat; seething from the authority he felt slipping out from underneath him at the moment. As he seethed, dieter or 'Moki' quietly approached him. _

"_Sir, if I may clear up some confusion…the one with the serious expression is yumi, not sayuri. And the one you've been calling yumi is in fact sayuri."_

"…_well then, I'll apologize for the mistake. However, the fact still remains…"_

"_Excuse me, sir: my sister is the one who knows kendo. I just do recreational sports, so my defense score is only a 4 of 10."_

"…_defense score?"_

_Sayuri detached herself from yumi's side and instead pushed her forward a little bit, stepping back. Then, she proceeded to direct 'Moki' in a like manner. _

"_First is intimidation factor. Moki's got that right off the bat with his height and muscles. That's three points. Then you factor in his knowledge of various sports and his martial arts credibility. That's four points."_

_Sayuri continued on, first taking a breath and then moving unto her sister, who looked rather full of disbelief as she circled her once, and then spoke. _

"_Mi-Chan's intimidation factor on an ordinary day is two points. This can also be a disadvantage in some ways…ah, getting back to the point: she's learning two forms of martial arts and is an active participant in physical, as well as mental sports. That earns her five points for quick comebacks and back up her threats. To finish it off, both of these examples get two points additionally for looks: because they are considered beautiful and dangerous."_

"_Is this about finished?"_

_Taking another breath, she nodded quickly to the vice principal in response to his question. _

"_That said, both my sister and Moki get a nine out of ten for defense level. My stats are as follows: when next to either of these two, I've get two points for intimidation. Otherwise, I've got nothing. I don't have the reputation from school sports and haven't made an effort to learn martial arts: thus, one point for knowledge on that level. But I'm also book smart, so I get two points for potential comebacks and the like. I'll award myself one point for looks because both yumi and I share the same face: and people wonder if we're alike in defense because of that. _

_So, on my own my intimidation factor is a four: but next to either one of these people it's a six. Those in the group earlier today are solid sixes and up."_

"_And what is your point, Miss Sayuri?"_

_Taking another breath, sayuri did a visual scan for a chair, but found absolutely none, and with an internal groan; got to her point just as the balding vice-principal with the large black eyes wished. _

"_when a five or below feels trapped; like I did by being faced with the prospect of choosing a boyfriend merely because they had me alone and I by their logic I had to be madly in love with at least one of them—because of that, I was able to access my adrenaline due to uneasiness. I know with your understanding I could have reacted differently, but I don't see another way out of that situation, even looking back."_

"_Well then…what should I do with you, boys?"_

_So, the punishment was thus: the boys had cleaning duties for a month—'by not thinking through their plan and causing potential harm to another because of that,' and sayuri was given a warning for acting recklessly, also advised to learn some kind of self-defense. Additionally, what would spawn from that little introduction of 'levels' after this moment would be a rather interesting development; for those also uninvolved entirely in the highlighted situation. _

"…_ah, so self-defense classes…"_

"_Well, you put the idea into his head, yu-chan. But, it's not a bad thing…because that scale of yours is really, for the most part; accurate."_

"_Hmm…'really, for the most part,'? What's wrong with it?"_

_The two girls lay around, lounging at home in their window-sill cushioned, couch strewn library. This of course; belonging to none other than their mutual cousin and his wife. Yumi was absently flipping through a book of music that had been left out, stretched out leisurely along one of the bamboo couches their cousins decorator had recently introduced into the libraries design. _

"_Well, you gave both Moki and I a nine, right? If anything the 'serious' face I have attracts and repels at a pretty even rate…"_

"_That's why your score is somewhat subjective. It depends upon your environment, mostly."_

"_Ah…I see,"_

_End: story one_


	2. Overseas

**Overseas**

"…Overseas?"

"_Right. Every year or so the location changes, but the test…ah…"_

_Suki; long hair twisting nervously in her hands, looked over her friend with hesitation as she saw the buds of thought begin to grow along her brow. Her blue eyes sparkled with uncertainty as sayuri suddenly stood from her seat, excitement in her rising tone: the louder, the more readily excited by interesting or otherwise news. _

"_Does it take care of housing?"_

"_Well, yeah. Usually the schools have on campus rooms,"_

"_Are you going to try for it?"_

_Suki; taking a seat on her desk as the rest of the class mingled carelessly, swung one leg over the other, fixing her skirt and tugging at her tie to loosen it. Maybe this girl did have a point about these ties and the schools heat problem…_

"_Well, it's against my better judgment,"_

"_So, it's a yes?"_

_Excited beyound the normal tone for an indoor place at midday, sayuri happily darted over to her sister, smile brimming with joy. Tugging lightly at her hair, she waited for yumi to finally turn and face her: several girls had been talking at all once around her in a closed circle, one which she just broken. _

"_Mi-Chan…try with me."_

"…"_try?" as in what, Yu-Chan?"_

"_For the overseas program, of course,"_

_Yumi stood slowly and met Sayuri's eyes. Her face was expectant, an excitement beyound the normal comprehension brimming there. after a moment, she returned to her seat and let out a sigh. _

"_What's this? Just the other day you were complaining about the currency rates in Europe, and now you're planning to go overseas?"_

_Sayuri nervously glanced back at the group of boys who were sitting not all that far away, just two rows down from where they conversed now. Some of whom had been involved in her 'love attack' just the other day._

"_w-what are you saying? I've always wanted to travel, and besides—I want to see more of the world before I'm burdened with college debt."_

"_You've been thinking about college recently?"_

"…_a little bit, yeah. Ah—but before the little problem even crops up I'd like to travel a little."_

"'_Problem,' you say."_

_The other girls had now decided to vanish and went away, muttering just under their breaths. This went unnoticed by sayuri, who was more intent on her single-minded goal now, than anything. _

"…_anyway, can you just test with me? I have a feeling I really should do it…"_

"_Yumi, it is all expenses paid. And chances are you'll be in England, or maybe even France, so language really isn't really a problem, either."_

_Suki had emerged from her desktop and stood, glasses poised: one hand floating at her side, the other on her friends' desk, currently empty of all respective school papers. Because this class was being treated as a study hall by the teachers who had suddenly convened elsewhere (in an unspecified location), to study the problem of the current state of unguarded hallways, janitorial staff and senior students had been peeking in periodically. _

"_How long is the exchange?"_

"_Well, there have been special cases: like scholarship offers and so on…but generally it's only a year. And if you stay within the top bracket of test scores they're not too hard on you,"_

"_Well, even saying that…"_

"_There's also the test itself: if you score in the top five overall, you're accepted—but that test itself is…rather monstrous. Sarah still has flashbacks…"_

_Suki felt herself shudder at the thought of her sisters' own personal expiernce: she'd scored 6__th__ overall; and had just barely missed the chance at a scholarship the year before that…the all-nighters pulled that year for the sake of studying were rather hazardous to Sarah's health, and had landed her in a mental state of solitary, for even a week after all had been said and done in regards to testing. _

"_Wasn't she the top in her class year?"_

"_Yeah, but she's got a lot going for her now…so it's fine. Oh-but I'm sure that yumi and sayuri can manage that test just fine: despite the odds of it all I'm still trying…"_

"_Then…me too,"_

"_Wait, sayuri—"_

_Sayuri looked quickly between her sister and suki; a close friend from this past year or two of attendance at this private, Boston-based high school. She directed her gaze not quite at the floor then, taking in a breath. _

"_I want to do it, yumi. I mean, I'll regret it if I don't at least try,"_

"_Alright then, have it your way."_

"_Do you really mean—?"_

"_Just lower your voice, already. Since you asked, I'll 'try' with you,"_

_The bell rang out its electric tone: so stern and severe. But this couldn't dampen her mood, as yumi watched sayuri bound off toward her next classroom, with suki at her side. They were chatting excitedly about all the things avaible to see in Europe: a topic that had actually been a rather popular one among themselves and a few of the others girls just a couple of years back. _

"_Are you coming, yumi?"_

"_Ah-yeah, right behind you Christy,"_

_The next period of class was the same: every student talking aloud over one another—the (now very present) teacher being utterly ignored by his or her students as they jabbered on about this and that—unfair school policies, great places to eat, etc. so, the day passed by rather quickly after this—and soon, the girls were heading home with leaflets in hand and one brown envelope each. When they arrived home the two almost immediately retreated to the study of their cousin, whom they were awaiting patiently when he arrived just an hour later._

"_Oh, girls—something wrong? Mary said you've been in here alone for over an hour…"_

"Oh, no. it's actually only been an hour, give or take some time for actually arriving home."

"_Precise…as always, yumi."_

"_Oh-you won't believe this! Cousin, did you know our school offers an overseas program?!"_

_Cousin, who looked to be in his mid-twenties with still absolutely no sign of facial hair in sight, hung up his jacket along the straight, narrow chair back of his newly upholstered chair and sank heavily into the leather seat, expectant now of some evidently related news. _

"_And? Is there a point in all of this, sayuri?"_

"_Ah…the point is that we want to test for it. I know it's not easy and that it'll take a lot of hard work—"_

"—_but we've got teacher recommendations. And on top of that, it an all-expense paid year abroad, so…"_

"_And why do you girls need me?"_

_The girls chorused the next lines together, faces determined as they slammed down their palms on the surface of the long, polished cedar desk he held in his admittedly more closet-sized study space. _

"_We are still technically minors, so you need to sign for us."_

"_Well…that's—I'm not doubting your abilities, girls. But to do this for a whole year…not even knowing where you'd be until the month prior to leaving…"_

"_We're set on this, cousin."_

_Cousin looked thoroughly unnerved by the unison speaking as he glanced between their two alike faces; trying to make comparisons between the two: but both faces were serious and titled slightly downward toward the desk, palms flat and eyes somehow very determined. With no way out, he made a last-ditch attempt._

"_Don't you think it will be hard to learn a new language? Almost anywhere you go it's still a proper courtesy…and you've already got other schoolwork to handle."_

_The girls each opened their envelopes and slid the papers forward, along with one of the two pamphlets. The papers they slid forward in sync, their stoic expressions unmatched t any legal client he had met, at least thus far. Their thoughts were unusually guarded, like steel caps were ensiling them from any clear view of the world's eyes. _

"_Sign here, please."_

"…_you two are just…impossible."_

_He slid the papers forward after signing the tail of each, letting out a sigh. The stoic expressions fell, revealing a wide grin on the face of sayuri, and an accomplished grin on the face of yumi. They spoke separately now, yumi speaking first._

"_I'm sorry about our double-attack just now, cousin."_

"…_but we know you're helpless to it, so it's always a trump card."_

"_Yu-Chan, is it bad that I kind of enjoy that?"_

"_No…it's not bad, mi-chan. Although, I think it would be very cruel to continue that all of the time, right? I'd probably call it 'The Double-tap'"_

_The two girls each took a path around the side of his desk, and kissed him on the cheek: leaving the room in a friendly mood, chattering away with the papers held in yumi's hands. It was a long moment before he recovered from that sudden show of affection, but with a clearing of his throat and a cough, he was apparently revived to his former state of being: slumping down in the seat of his tall, leather chair. _

"_Where'd you think up that whole 'double-tap' bit with cousin?"_

"_Ah—that. I saw it in some kind of zombie movie a while back: it was a rule this guy had for survival…"_

"…_a-ah…and we need this to survive?"_

"_Probably not. Just sounds cool is all,"_

_Sayuri plopped unto her queen-size with a sigh and close her eyes. Yumi muttered quietly to herself a moment._

"'_probably' she says…ah, how reassuring,"_

_Sayuri hugged a pillow close to her chest and buried her face there, already feeling sleeps pull on her eyelids. _

"_Tired yourself out today, huh?"_

"…_no…I'm…fine, mi-Chan…"_

"_Well, bed it is then. Here, give me the pillow."_

_Reluctantly, sayuri handed over the torso-length pillow to her sister, who then restored it to its position, and pointed toward one of the night-stand drawers on the opposite side of the bed. _

"_Think you can stand to at least change?"_

_It was only a brief few moments before sayuri was in bed: at 4:32 pm approximately. Sayuri adjusted the blankets around her, and wrapped the already falling covers up to her chin. She was hardly conscious now, futily fighting the sleep she knew that she did so badly need. Yumi knelt beside her, quiet. Listening to her breathing and listening to her own._

"…_Mama…Come back…soon,"_

"_You don't know the half of it, yu sayuri…that woman, she…maybe it's better to let you dream, after all."_

_The girls had been with their cousin the past four, almost five years of their lives. They were sixteen: soon to be seventeen, soon to leave the little nest that they had built up for themselves in their little corner of Boston, Massachusetts. Soon to leave 'old things' and to embrace the new—new revelations, theories, and thoughts about who they were, and just who they might have become, had the things which had severed them from their happy future with a family of four not gone on, as some had planned; as some had known deep down, and dreaded with all of their heart. _

"_Sayuri—what are you doing for summer break?"_

"_I've actually gotta study quite a bit…it seems the test is rather lengthy and full of content we haven't learned yet, so…"_

"_Oh, I see…well, look me up if you have the time, sayu."_

"_Of course, Rach,"_

_It was May—that meant, that time had marched on since the 'double-tap' theory had been somewhat established. In Boston, they still had a bit longer to go until the exams for the 'study-abroad' program. But until then, spring fever was in full force across the little campus, and the wolves were out to play. _

"_Are you sure? Last time…"_

"_I'll be fine on my own, really."_

_The day was half-over. It was now lunch-break for the majority of the students—because of the fact that many had opted out in favor of classes for further school credit. A bright-haired pixy with true-blue eyes was staring worriedly at sayuri, uncertain of whether or not to believe her self-assured attitude. _

"_Then, you're going to have to take this,"_

"…_a whistle…? How is that—?"_

_The little pixie strung it around Sayuri's neck, standing on tip-toe. Once it reached, and fell into place mid-breast, she nodded to herself as if affirming something. It was brightly colored and shimmering purple in the bright sunlight from the above window shades. _

"_If you blow that, your attacker will be stunned for a full three minutes. Take that time to get yourself out of there and into a classroom—it's your safest bet."_

"_Ah…well, thank you."_

_The girls name was jasmine—she'd been a friend of hers from the start of her life here in Boston. She was short, sprightly; took several forms of self-defense classes and watched reality TV stars almost religiously. Her hair was long, and curled and bounced as she hopped along the hallway, humming to herself some kind of song, that unfortunately; she was now far too out of range to make out clearly. She was heading off to the lunchroom, while sayuri had chosen to get permission to check out some new releases in the school's library—that was one benefit that public schools never had—always having new things to take place of the old, beat up, or utterly neglected things of school life. _

"_That girl…whatever she is, I'm already impressed."_

_It was only speculation, but apparently this little girl had big goals for her life past high school. _

"_Someone's in the kitchen with Dina…"_

"_Someone's in the kitchen…"_

_Sayuri's single tune was echoed by another male voice, somewhere down the length of the hallway. Unfortunately, this was the only direct path the library. So, eerily as she might have felt in that moment, she continued on walking straight, ears peeled for movement, palms clutching the little whistle on her chest. _

"_Come on…next part, right?"_

_And there he was—the voice who had answered her little bit of song. The ringleader of the past 'love attack' gang up. However, he appeared to be alone—whether or not this was a good thing did appear however, remain to be seen. His bright hair and dark eyes were untouched by the sunlight now—suddenly a large cloud had darkened the light of the mostly naturally-lit halls. _

"_I don't have permission to be wandering the halls, you know. No one does,"_

"_Ah…shall I report you then?"_

"_Sorry, but I'm going somewhere at the moment. Could you please…?"_

_The sound of a gaggle of laughter broke the tension slightly—it was coming from the location of the classroom just a couple of feet behind this guy's obstructing back._

"_Look, Andrew—you need to let me go now. I have something important to do,"_

"_I am not…on this great long list of yours, sayu?"_

_He encroached further upon her, and the sunlight fled from her own face, smothered by his shadow. _

"_That's sayuri to you, Andrew. Now please move."_

_Finally, the wall of his body fell back, breaking the clouds that had been collected just before the windows glass; allowing the sunlight, to more or less drench the area at their feet. Sayuri made a steady, walking pace toward the library; walking straight and without panic—although physically her body was screaming all the warning signs of 'run, you idiot!' and 'use the adrenaline now, dummy!' but more than physically, if she didn't remain calm, then the wolf would most probably attack. _

"_Sayuri, what took you so long? You do realize that our building is just north to south, right?"_

_Despite the obvious attempt at a joke, she found it very hard to laugh at the schools only minimally considered layout. _

"_Hey, you alright? Your face is pale…"_

"_Nothing to worry about,"_

_Sayuri opened up one of the largest of the reference books and started to read through a small passage on sea life: 'what lives and what dies at the bottom of the ocean.' A deep, concerned pair of eyes was watching as she unconsciously shook where she stood: her whole face and self-felt dirty: exposed to something dark and deep that shouldn't rightly exist in this world. _

"_Sayuri—"_

"…_it's like I…said. I'm fine,"_

"_Clearly you're not; now talk to me!"_

_Moki; eyes blazing, stepped in front of sayuri—ending her route to the continuation of the sidewalk that stretched on before them. She avoided his gaze but felt the inevitable tears of shock fall from her face. _

"…_just…talk to me."_

"_I can't walk alone anymore."_

_Still, she kept her eyes to the ground—but the words she'd been swallolling back, as painful as knives; heavy as lead, poured out now without much further help._

"_I feel afraid…because of that…damn…animal. If not me; then someone else…I know that. But it still hurts,"_

"_Is that why you're trying for the program, then?"_

"_No…I have other…reasons for that. But…I won't say I'm not looking to not seeing him,"_

_Finally, she looked up towards him, gripping the inner flesh of her palm with her fingernails to draw back some of the anger that was funneling dangerously through her body._

"_I'll do my part, as your friend. But as mine…keep away from that one, if you can."_

_Exactly one week later, Andrew was expelled. Granted, it had little to nothing to do with his stalking hobbies. The girls continued to study for the exam, and life went on as such: summer vacation came; the children played. The exam was nearing, and Moki was close on the twins' tail, as that time swiftly approached. _


	3. Something you don't know

**I know something you don't know:**

The test results were final: the girls were presented with these words just moments after leaving the breakfast table that morning, as they left off for their foreign aptitude test. The picture of Cleo, cousins wife: holding tight to his clenched hand as her long blonde tresses hit a stream of careless sunlight that cut across her fair cheekbones, was one that yumi would never forget.

There was a kind of intangible sense of foreboding, there in their wide-eyed, off-kilter stance. He was sitting there at the head of the breakfast table, with back straight and shoulders hunched forward. Sayuri had quickly pointed this out, with the nudge of a hand.

"Cousin, is…something…wrong?"

Their expressions didn't change, but sayuri hooked a hand into yumi's, drawing her closer as the couple slowly arose from the table, eyes nearly as quiet as their strangely small footsteps, as they moved on down the hallway, toward his study.

"Yu-Chan, we have to go now,"

"Yes…we really do."

Something strangely prophetic rang in the air then, and even held a long moment: as yumi turned to looked, started at the tone in her sisters voice, which was matched by the sudden sorrow painted there on Sayuri's face.

"We will now begin the testing. You will have all you need here, within this room. Do not ask to leave for any reason at all, save signs of medical attention that cannot be ministered here. I will now ask that you all refrain from speaking to one another,"

The old woman; eyes sharp and small; fled the students minds as they glanced into their lengthy test booklets. There was a synomonus rusting of paper, and then a few muffled coughs. Somewhere off in a corner of the room, an advisor to the tests' administration blew his nose and shifted his weighty body in the little creaky chair of a long, plastic seat and wood-paneled desktop.

Yes, the tense test atmosphere was here, and now nothing was going to break it.

"Yu-Chan!"

The days had changed now, shifted from one place to another: and now, yumi ran rather recklessly through the halls, blood pumping from heart to legs, from legs to heart, rather quickly. She spotted her sister just down the hall now; with jasmine and another girl whom she seemed to recall was named 'Rachel'. She ran right into the three, for lack of her being able to stop herself from toppling them all over, but quickly pulled her younger sister away, with the news that the test results had now been announced. With a little stumble, and a breath of fresh air, she set off with sayuri in two: both of them racing down the hallway, hearts beating fast.

"See—it's here, yu-chan."

On a long, admittedly aged corkboard for the school who usually seemed so well on top of replacing old things, there were a whole collection of little papers: club notifications and recent dress codes ammendants—all spanning about half a wall of classroom, should the section of hall they were in right now been, rather than a hallway; a small classroom.

"Ah—yumi! You're #1! And suki, too…she's third."

"Anna's second of course, and there you are-#4!"

Yumi quickly grabbed hold of her sister, and let out a long string of words in one breath.

"We're going there, yu-chan. Back to the place that we lived long before any of this!"

With every word, a little bit of sadness leaked into her face; an irrepressible, unammendable, sadness. Sayuri took hold of her sisters' hands, which pressed there up against her forearms, and closed them in on each other as she whispered.

"Mi-Chan…it'll be fine. I've missed it there, too…"

The indescribable communication that fell in those words was heard by none but themselves. The hall was empty, until at last the final bell rang, and they left the school together with hands locked, their security founded as they walked home together, Moki trailing somewhere not far behind: watching as the two girls made their way home, hardly speaking; barely making any kind of sound. Just the intangible kind, which can't really be taught or explained. Simply speech without words.

"Just remember to call us, girls. If anything comes up, just be sure to call…"

Sayuri took her aunts embrace in stride, standing there with her bags packed at her sides, and with the flight gate calling forward their flight. Yumi had accepted a little folded piece of paper from cousin, tucking it away before embracing their aunt as well, and pulling her sister off to their destined gate.

"Come on sayuri, we've got to go now,"

"…right. I'll see you guys soon,"

After being pulled away, yumi and sayuri joined the line for items check, finding their little group of japan-bound colleagues sitting, absentmindedly watching the most recent flights plane take off into the distants.

The test results were final. Those were the words the girls had the chance to expiernce, late one morning at the conclusion of breakfast; with a usually calm and strangely still cousin. His wife (Cleopatra) Cleo, stood beside him with her hand wrapped over the entirety of his; molding around his clutched hand like a glove of some bulky, yet thin material.

"


	4. Stay with me

**Stay with me;**

"Hey! Look, it's them!"

An unusually excitable suki ran up to the two girls, uniform flying as she ran forward to meet them: the twins who stood there, hand in hand. and the rest; all sitting in their respective poses by the window, watching all of the seemingly endless flights take off, tried to glance quickly and inconspicuously at the two: neither in uniform, both holding each other within an unusually close proximity.

"Ah…you seem strangely alive, suki."

"Hey, hey! So guys…you grew up in japan, right?!"

The girls exchanged slightly flustered looks, and sayuri let her eyes fall to the ground, then letting her gaze slide down to the hem of her sisters' blue-green skirt. Yumi kept composure; clearing her throat, and taking a long steadying breath before answering.

"Well, yeah…you could say that."

Now, the reality of the atmosphere seemed to hit suki: as an ashamed looked crossed over the length of her face. A low murmur came over from sayuri then, as she slowly raised her eyes to meet her classmates; running between the faces slowly, cautiously.

"…what I remember from…back then, if you need help speaking to the locals…I can…do that much for you,"

"Yu-Chan—"

Suki smiled secretively at them both: knowing the bond between the girls was something that she couldn't very well break into, much less understand—yet, she knew sayuri. She was sometimes painfully transparent in her words and actions, as was her older sister, yumi. Perhaps yumi…was even more so.

"I'll take you up on that,"

A blonde girl with small, pouting lips and fair skin made her way over to them now, jumping down from her place on the deeply in-set window sill. She joined suki at her right side and folded her hands behind her back, and curiously then, she started.

"Sayuri…yumi…just wondering, would you speak Japanese for us…? I mean, the fact that you're twins—it would…uh…sound…rather cool, I think,"

"S_hould we, yu-Chan?"_

"…_hai, mi-Chan…" _

The group; even the one male watched with througou intrigue as they began to speak in unison now.

"_Ah—there was a candy you liked, wasn't there?"_

"_You too, mi-Chan,"_

"_Bunny-Chan…"_

"_He used to work there! But, when was it?"_

The flight was called over the loudspeaker, and the one boy: who'd placed fifth overall in final testing, ushered them out towards the gate, closer to their actual plane departure area, eyes nervously watching his happily ticking watch face.

Somewhat unnerved by the sudden show of fluent speaking, he then led them unto the place of loading: staying silent as the girls prattled on, between English and Japanese almost carelessly. The two girls: suki and Anna sparkled with excitement as they watched the show: his companions for the trip could sure talk! And, as they finally went to take their seats on the modest liner, a revelation of sorts shook him. There would be no Moki around, for the purpose of quieting them. He was an admittedly calming element in their usual little trio. And with this thought in mind, it was surely going to be a long flight for Jordan, who sat just in front of the prattling twins, one lying across the other one's shoulders: another letting her head rest there with an affection pat of the head.

Twins was truly an astonishing element that he would probably have to start getting used to from here on in.

"…come on, you stupid! We're here already!"

Anna, pouting lips now even more so frowning, stood beside Jordan's seat on an basically empty plane, where only the little class group of five and a couple of other passengers were left sitting, with groggy looks on their tired faces, and yawns moving audibly in the air around them.

"That's it, Jordan. Get up slow so your muscles don't stop relaxing from all that sleep…geez! 2 transfers of complete and utter sleep! Just how do you do it?!"

"Don't scold him too much, Anna. Yu-Chan slept the whole first layover and transfers herself…"

The two girls walked by, now arm in arm as they hoisted their luggage from the above head carriages and made to walk down the little blue-carpeted aisle leading to the inside of the Tokyo airport. Sayuri's face flushed with embarrassment.

"Who are you talking about huh?! That was so you!"

"_Yeah, yeah…now let's get going…"_

"_Suki~! Tell her!"_

Suki had since reached the very border of the plane's terminal connection, one foot still on the plane floor. Reluctantly, she peeked backward and turned her head to see the two girls: suddenly nervous.

"Really…you guys are so immature sometimes…you were both **sleeping**."

"Ah! There's no way! Remember, there was a bird next to the window, and I was watching it the entire time! You saw it too!"

"A bird couldn't possibly fly next the window of a plane, especially the wings! You should know that by now!"

Yumi glanced over at her sister, suddenly contemplative, searching her mind for clues.

"My bags are getting heavy, here. Do you think we can get out of here?"

"Eh…? But, the bird—it…ah…"

"The flight attendants are probably going to start getting mad; we'll talk about your boring dreams later,"

Eventually, the five Boston students exited the plane and stepped into Tokyo airport.

Unexpectedly, the twins trailed behind a good distance, keeping their group members just enough within sight, that a good sprint could close the distants if needs be, just far enough that the group remained out of earshot from their again, up until this movement: mostly silent words.

"It's…that…isn't it, yumi?"

"Auntie would…take us here to meet clients, and eventually….you stopped tagging along with us, so…yeah, it's just that."

Sayuri gripped her shoulder strap on a long, gray duffel and smiled softly. It was rather rare for her sister to show this side…and when she did, it was done in such a way that she would only merely skim the topic of interest, rather than even attempting to delve further into her well-hidden metaphorical bruises.

"…I can't disappear anymore, yumi…I hope…that you realize that,"

It was difficult not to be dazzled by all of the glittering, wonderful trinkets and machines that existed all throughout the half of the spacious airport that they were currently traversing, but all five purses stayed shut, up until suki decided to sample fresh sushi and chocolate treats with the first of her free spending money—intended for some more, admittedly academic or physical requirement for food.

"Huh…ramen…well, I won't say anything but—"

"It's called being frugal to conserve what we have left for the week, Jordan. So I don't want to hear it."

"_Besides, that is saying something, you know."_

Jordan shifted backward away from them now; the twins eating simple cup ramen with forks they'd taken from the nearest shopkeeper. They'd spoken in unison again: in quite a scary, blatant way that he just couldn't quite get the grasp of. They even ate alike—twisting the noodles like spaghetti and slurping up the hot noodles, like a bird swallowing whole worms in a single gulp. He slumped back, defeated with his arms resting on a nearby wall decoration; currently serving as a horizontal support post.

"Ah ha ha ! You're really scared by them, aren't you? Tell me!"

"You're enjoying this too much, suki. Isn't it normal to be a little unnerved at first? I mean…they're just too much alike…I can't even tell who's who anymore!"

Yumi quietly sipped the last bit of her ramen broth, and melded her gaze there to the floor. Sayuri gulped down the last bit of broth, and let the paper cup hang there in her low-hanging hands and slightly hunched shoulders, in a similar fashion. She sat at an angle on the little bench seats they'd parked on for the moment, for the purposes of lunch only.

"Just look at them, you idiot! Can't you see you said something wrong?"

"No…it's okay, really."

"It is not okay, yumi! Jordan is an insensitive idiot with no sense of atmosphere!"

The two girls both straightened up, sayuri still angled along the bench at a slight degree, one leg flopping over to one side, the other crossing her chest and touching the seat itself. Yumi let out a sigh, and then they spoke.

"_Jordan is an idiot with no sense of atmosphere,"_

"_we are in japan now, so at least speak the language if you're going to scold him,"_

Jordan fell backward now, somewhat more violently than before. The wall caught him before he could fall right to the floor. After a moment, they grinned at one another and continued to speak: watching his expressions with a level of amusement, as they entertained themselves now, so clearly at his expense.

"Mi-Chan…let's go shopping. We have an hour left, and an idiots purse…"

"Well, maybe we should ask him first…"

"Jordan, will you buy us something as an apology?"

"Yeah, yeah! For being so rude!"

He held the thing close to his chest and felt himself suddenly moving from his seat on the bench to accompany all the girls for a scoop of frozen yogurt—costing the first half of his food allowance money for the week.

"I guess we'll have to reimburse you for this,"

"Right…we were just making a point, you idiot boy."

"Anna…you…"

Money from four of the five purses went to his own; and yumi reluctantly counted its remainder.

"So much for being frugal…"

"_Mi-Chan, that was really expensive dairy…ah, but…so worth it…"_

From behind yumi's shoulder, came a sudden tap. Surprise lit her voice, as the purse fell with a small thud to the ground below, where it gleamed of fluorescence and floor wax.

_When she turned, defenses now on; she saw a very familiar face—with large brown eyes and a slim figure, small arms; and an accomplished look on her face. _

"_I overheard you two talking…frankly, I'm surprised—but it's really you two after all…"_

Sayuri bounded over from her place in the little ring of a circle they'd invented around the subject of the small prank, smile wide and voice high with excitement. She stopped herself just in front of the young woman, excitement riddling on her every thought.

"_Haruhi-Chan! I told you we'd come to visit when we had the chance,"_

"…_Haruhi…after 2 years,"_

_"_Well, don't look so shocked, Mi-chan! You had to realize-"

Yumi stumbled back a moment, and looked at her sister with utterly shocked eyes: they fell between both the somewhat oblivious party who stood behind them, and the small, accomplished smile of her virtual look-a-like of a sister.

"D-don't tell me...you guys...you didn't p-plan...?"

Jordan looked almost bemused by the whole encounter: it was rare to be able to surprise someone like yumi; he almost wished now, that he had been a part of it. Alas, all he could do was to stand there and watch as 'Yu-Chan' teased her sister to no end, the young woman haruhi apparently trying very hard not to laugh.

"Hey...I recognize that...yes, I recognize that person,"

"Of course you do-she attended school with us for a full year; just around the time the twins appeared,"

Anna shook her long, blonde curls and let out a little sigh. It was all she could do not to roll her eyes as the apparent feelings of surprise and vague recognition filled up his face; he really hadn't remembered her. Suki echoed her little resemblance of a sigh, and pulled on Jordan's jacket sleeve, drawing the attention to her small, unusually fond seeming face as she proceeded to explain.

"We were in middle school back then, _remember_?"

"Ah...somewhat, yeah."

"Haruhi was the first person they spoke to for any real length of time after they came over from Japan. Somehow, they glued themselves next to her and those boys with no real trouble at all..."

Jordan looked curiously back over at the three girls now; yumi had regained control of herself now, and was openly grilling her sister; who'd raised her hands in the hopes of admitting defeat, but to no avail. The girl haruhi's face was laughing now, as they started at each other with a stream of almost unintelligible Japanese, a few English words slipping here and there.


End file.
